However, low-dose pills may result in more breakthrough bleeding - bleeding or spotting between periods - than higher dose pills. Women who are sensitive to hormones may benefit from taking a pill that contains a dose of estrogen at the lower end of this range. Most combination birth control pills contain 10 to 35 micrograms of ethinyl estradiol, a kind of estrogen. Check the pregnancy rates on this chart to get an idea. In this type of combination birth control pill, the amounts of hormones in active pills vary. Some methods are more effective than others at preventing pregnancy. In this type of combination birth control pill, each active pill contains the same amounts of estrogen and progestin. Works best if used along with a barrier method, such as a diaphragm. Can be hard to know the days you are most fertile (when you need to avoid having sex or use back-up birth control) Depending on method used, takes planning each month.

Formulations that contain only active pills - eliminating bleeding - also are available.Ĭombination birth control pills are also categorized according to whether the dose of hormones in the active pills stays the same or varies: Natural family planning (rhythm method) 24. Between 20, 65 of women ages 15-49 used some form of birth control. Bleeding generally occurs only four times a year, during the time when you take the inactive pills. If you’re considering using birth control, you’re not alone.Nearly every person identifying as female in the United States will use some form of birth control during their lifetime. These packs typically contain 84 active pills and seven inactive pills. Birth control pills are the best option for teens who need to use birth control to regulate hormone imbalances and their menstrual cycle. These are 91 effective at preventing pregnancy when taken daily. Bleeding occurs every month when you take the inactive pills. The minipill only contains progestin and is rarely prescribed for teens.

Conventional packs usually contain 21 active pills and seven inactive pills, or 24 active pills and four inactive pills. Combination birth control pills come in different mixtures of active and inactive pills, depending on how often you want to have periods:

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